BoxRec

Orlin Norris was underrated. He won the WBA Cruiserweight title and defended 3 times, and as a small Heavyweight he pulled off a number of upsets. He didn't have his brother's speed and one punch power, but he was a whole lot more durable.

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Carlos Palomino

Probably a little overrated. A solid, workmanlike fighter who beat the man (Stacey) who beat the man (Napoles), about half his defenses were against exceptionally weak opposition and he lost to the two biggest names he fought, Benitez and Duran. Would have deserved much higher rating if he'd been able to unify against Cuevas

Next: Danny Lopez

Under-rated. Doesn't get much play these days in discussions of ATG's and hypotheticals.


Here's a tricky one, Marcel Cerdan

HomicideHenry wrote:Here's a tricky one, Marcel Cerdan

I'd say overrated. He's one of those fighters who gets rated on what "might've been", rather than what he actually did/proved in the ring. I've always thought he looked like a great fighter, and he has great numbers, but he simply didn't win enough big fights in his career to live up to the reputation he has.


Next up: Jimmy Carter.

I'd have to say Jimmy Carter is a little overrated on the basis that he was elected to the IBHOF 8 years ago. A very good fighter, yes, but I feel he has too many hard to explain away losses during his prime.

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George Foreman 2nd Career only

I would say George Foreman mark 2 maybe a tad underrated.

Yes he was slow & ponderous, but his strength, power & chin were jaw dropping.

To compete the way he did in the HW division in the 1990's (itself an underrated era of HW boxing) was phenomenal.

I doubt many other boxers in history could have come back in their 40th year & fought on to regain the HW title at 45.

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Thulane 'Sugar Boy' Malinga.

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Thulane 'Sugar Boy' Malinga.

Overrated. Just a tricky journeyman who managed to pull off an occasional upset here and there against an overrated and/or overconfident opponent.


Next up: Tony Zale.

My2Sense wrote:

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Thulane 'Sugar Boy' Malinga.

Overrated. Just a tricky journeyman who managed to pull off an occasional upset here and there against an overrated and/or overconfident opponent.


Next up: Tony Zale.

Underrated. Tremendous competitor who fought (and usually beat) the best of his era and lost some of his best years to WWII

Next up: Hugo Corro

I'm going to have to take a third option here and say Corro, when he's rated, is probably where he should be. In that sense he's not overrated, but on the other hand, for an undisputed World Champion, I don't think he was all that good. He beat a faded Rodrigo Valdez,who had really gotten slow, twice, got a questionable decision against Ronnie Harris, and lost narrowly to Vito Antuofermo. A good fighter, but never an outstanding one.

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Harry Greb as a Heavyweight, or should I say Harry Greb vs Heavyweights.

Know it's sacrilegious to say it, but I would say overrated. Many of the true heavys he fought were bums and many counted as heavys were guys were normally fought at lt. heavy. if the question was how he did among light heavys, I would say underrated.

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Ayub Kalule

Ayub Kalule was underrated. For a start, in his first 14 fights he beat Larry Paul, Jose Luis Duran, Elisha Obed, Rudy Robles, Miguel Castellini by KO (guy coming off a pair of 15 rd title bouts)and Ralph Palladin, who once beat Rodrigo Valdez. After that he beat Sugar Ray Seales and Kevin Finnegan before winning the WBA JMW title and successfully defended it 4 times. Then he turning in a respectable performance against a peak Sugar Ray Leonard, before Ray suddenly put him on ice in the 9th. Even after his career was on the downside he still managed wins over Lindell Holmes and Sumbu Kalambay.

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Angelo Dundee as a trainer

Overrated. Overrated. Overrated! Made his name on the back of the fighter least in need of coaching throughout his career. Actually took time out to scream at his fighters when they were hurt or dazed. I'm not saying he didn't have great qualities --- he did, but he is shockingly over-estimated, & guilty of some poor decisions as a cornerman. Eddie Futch, he ain't.

Joel Casamayor (in his pomp).

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Overrated. Overrated. Overrated! Made his name on the back of the fighter least in need of coaching throughout his career. Actually took time out to scream at his fighters when they were hurt or dazed. I'm not saying he didn't have great qualities --- he did, but he is shockingly over-estimated, & guilty of some poor decisions as a cornerman. Eddie Futch, he ain't.

Joel Casamayor (in his pomp).

Overrated - if only because he lost to Freitas.


Next (probably been done before): Julio Cesar Chavez.

My2Sense wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Overrated. Overrated. Overrated! Made his name on the back of the fighter least in need of coaching throughout his career. Actually took time out to scream at his fighters when they were hurt or dazed. I'm not saying he didn't have great qualities --- he did, but he is shockingly over-estimated, & guilty of some poor decisions as a cornerman. Eddie Futch, he ain't.

Joel Casamayor (in his pomp).

Overrated - if only because he lost to Freitas.


Next (probably been done before): Julio Cesar Chavez.

Underrated... He was a truly great fighter but many people act as if he lost the Taylor fight. Only started losing when he was past his best weight and best days... One of the greatest fighters ever.

Next: Beau Jack

Underrated. A great fighter who you don't hear much about anymore.

Next: Mike McTigue

Very undersold. I've seen fighters with lesser victories in their win column get much more respect. A great fighter on his day. Emphasis on great.

Wilfred Benitez.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Very undersold. I've seen fighters with lesser victories in their win column get much more respect. A great fighter on his day. Emphasis on great.

Wilfred Benitez.

I think Benitez was underrated.A great defensive fighter w/ deceptive power.

Pernel Whitaker

Somewhat underrated, as many seem to resent watching him, & rank him accordingly. It's a huge call on my part, but to my mind, Whitaker is the greatest Lightweight there ever was.

Ricardo Lopez.

Ricardo Lopez is given due respect where he is mentioned at all. But that is rarely. Nobody talks about him. For me, that means underrated.

Lloyd Honeyghan.

witherspoon wrote:Lloyd Honeyghan.

I always thought overrated.

He upset an overrated fighter and became overrated himself. To be fair, he made the most of his moderate talents. His "effort" against Mark Breland exposed him for sure, however.


Next up: Kid Chocolate.

What Witherspoon said about Lopez was bang-on, IMO --- given his due when mentioned, but rarely mentioned in the first place. Same deal with Chocolate, & I reach the same conclusion --- underrated.

Mickey Walker.

Overall, I would say about right. Most people know he was a great middleweight and pound for pound one of the greats.
That he was effective as he was against lightheavyweights and heavyweights is pretty impressive as well.

One thing is that he is overrated as a welterweight. A lot of people just assume that he was one of the All-Time great welterweights and he wasn't. He was much more beatable at that weight than when he moved up to middleweight.

Next up:Chalky Wright

Overrated.And I'm not sure how Chalky Wright made it into the IBHOF. A very good fighter, but until Willie Joyce makes it in, he's got zero victories against fellow HOF'ers.

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Paul Pender

It would be easy to say 'overrated for beating a washed up Sugar Ray', but i don't really think that is the case.
I think Pender gets the respect he deserves for being a solid pro who won a world title despite some serious hand problems throughout his career.
But I have never come across anyone giving him more than his due.
I'm going to go middle of the road with this one - rated (as opposed to over' or under').

Brian Mitchell.

Mitchell under-rated, IMO, never beat great fighters but was always on the road, had no discernible power but good all-round skills and defence.

next:

has Pipino Cuevas been done? if he has, then maybe Buddy McGirt?